Live Santa Monica ’72 is classic glam-era David Bowie.  Lifted from a radio broadcast of the show at the legendary Civic Auditorium (last show I caught there was Marilyn Manson), this show now does what it was meant to do in the first place, and that is to entertain a much wider audience.

Theatricality has always been a large part of the Bowie mystique.  Bowie was able to become the central characters in his stage shows with all the flash of a celebrity, with great songs as the cornerstones.  Bowie’s onstage personas are no strangers to his fans from that era, and so a mental visualization as you listen to this show is easy enough.  This makes the addition of Live Santa Monica ’72 an essential set as it covers an early but raucous period of David Bowie previously unheralded.  Before this, Bowie first live album had already seen the morph into The Thin White Duke phase of Bowie from his Young Americans album even though David Live represents Diamond Dogs, it is eons past this ’72 Ziggy Stardust period that had been building for years.

This live album recovers lost ground as a missing live period and does a wonderful job of it.  Ronson’s guitars are perfect, with accompanying Spiders Trevor Bolder and drummer, Woody providing essence to David Bowie’s superb theatre.

This 17-song set covers formative Bowie on through Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust with the inclusion of “The Jean Genie” found on the forthcoming Aladdin Sane, likely a song waiting for an album.  The only disrupting problem with the set is the silent breaks between songs.  Unavoidable, I’m sure but it does tend to throw a bit of cold water on an unfolding rock ‘n’ roll frenzy.

Regardless, Live Santa Monica ’72 is essential Bowie at the peak of a period in which he ruled.  We’re lucky to have such a recording.  I’m quite happy to see it surface even at this late stage when Bowie has all but faded into historical view.

Ahhh, those rock ‘n roll moments remembered.